Lesson 1
by ae.vaga
Summary: Ren helps Kyoko work through a scene and a blindfold makes things a bit more interesting... No lemon but still rated M for content. * There may be more chapters to come. *


AN: I don't like author's notes so this will be brief. This fic was uncovered from the depths of my dying laptop. I do not like the ending but there's no sense in just scrapping the whole thing. Btw, for those who are fans of Heavenly Forest (Tada, Kimi o Aishiteru), I apologise! It all makes sense in the end. If you have not watched the movie, I recommend it! Enjoy (^.^)

* * *

Lesson #1

Something strange was lurking in the corridors of the tall LME offices. In fact, even those walking past the building could feel that something unusual was going on. Out front, an elderly lady tightened her grip on her bag while a passing businessman huddled his coat a little closer to his frame. A young mother felt the sudden urge to rush past without really knowing why.

The situation inside the building was much worse. Those in the offices on the main floor felt a chill run down their spines. On the upper floors, cautious heads peeked out of the offices but felt their breath escape them in the short moments spent in the hall. Rushing back into their offices, the workers buried their heads in piles of paper hoping that the aura would be cleared before they needed to head home. And finally on the twenty-first floor the lights appeared dim and those caught in the hallways had to duck below the oppressive black cloud of despair threatening to take over the entire building. It was on this very floor that a certain short auburn haired girl trudged back and forth with a book obscuring her vision. Perhaps that was the reason she seemed to be utterly oblivious to the dark cloud billowing around the passage. This girl's pink jumpsuit stood out in stark contrast to the aura that had now fully consumed the corridor.

"Moooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuu!" she wailed miserably to the inside of the book. Any poor souls braving the hallway now huddled into corners to escape the fresh battalions of little demons that had sprouted out of the young girl's head. The grudges seemed to have no particular target but darted around wildly bouncing off the walls with wretched expressions on their round little faces.

Flipping the pages rapidly, the girl stopped her motions and let her head fall back sullenly. Sniffling a few times she cried to the ceiling, "Whhhhyyyyyyyyyy?"

The air around her petite form seemed to whirl in what can only be described as a supernatural fashion, with little demon creatures stretching themselves out as they were caught up in the winds. The huddled bodies in the hall tried not to breathe in the dark aura but were beginning to lose their will to hold their breath. Then like a beacon from heaven, a set of footsteps began to head in the direction of the young girl – who had now turned to head back the way she came down the corridor. The captive souls reached out towards the ankles and long lean legs of the source of the footsteps, silently begging him to save them.

With a thump the girl collided into the chest of the long legged man which caused her book to smack directly into her nose. The resulting cry snapped her out of the swirling pit of gloom and in an instant the atmosphere cleared. Those cowering on the floor blinked and with a cheer ran off to their respective offices lest the aura come back with a vengeance. Rubbing her nose, the girl tucked her book under her arm and briefly wondered where she was. The man crossed his arms and glanced down upon her in thinly veiled amusement, "Mogami-san. I thought that might have been you."

Kyoko's shoulders tensed at the smooth voice that addressed her. Judging by his calm tone, she figured he was about to lecture her and so she clenched her eyes shut in a kind of masochistic anticipation. After a few moments of silence, she loosened up and peered up at the tall man, "Oh hello Tsuruga-san."

"It seems that you have been causing a bit of a disturbance here," he motioned towards the office doors that were boarded up and the few stragglers crawling out of the hallway, not fully recovered.

His dazzling smile rained down upon her with a sparkling fury that no other human being could rival. Scratching her head abashedly, she chuckled, "Ah, I'm s-sorry Tsuruga-san. I will be more careful from now on."

Dialling down the brightness of his smile a little, Ren nodded, "That's good to hear. Now. What is bothering you?"

Her face immediately darkened at his question. Casting her eyes downward, she remembered her forgotten script and cringed, "It's nothing to worry yourself with."

"Mogami-san."

It only took the tone of his voice to cause goose bumps to spread all over her body. Unable to meet Ren's evil glare, Kyoko tried to fidget and stutter her way out of the conversation, "W-well, I accepted a role in a movie b-but I can't do one of the scenes. Maybe I will just tell them I can't do it..."

"That doesn't sound like you," Ren's voice was low and betrayed his disapproval _very_ clearly, "Since when do you decide you _can't_ do something?"

Catching eyes with her senpai accidently, Kyoko squeaked at the critical expression on his face, "B-but Tsuruga-san, you don't understand!"

"Mogami-san," he reprimanded again, "I think I have much more experience in these matters than you. There is no scene that _cannot_ be done if the actor is strong enough."

For a moment Kyoko thought he must have known the scene she was worrying about because his words were truer than he could have possibly known otherwise. Hanging her shoulders in dismay, she muttered, "But _I've_ never done anything like this before..."

Heaving a sigh, Ren uncrossed his arms and gestured for her to hand him the script, "Haven't I always told you that you can ask me for help with these matters?"

Eyes wide, Kyoko clutched the script to her chest as though it would suddenly fly into Ren's hands of its own accord. Incapable of finding any words at all, she shook her head vigorously and felt her complexion turn completely red. Confusion and surprise masked Ren's features and if Kyoko had been brave enough to really look at him, she would have been able to detect a hint of hurt. But since she was so concerned with avoiding Ren's questions, she also missed that. Backing up slowly, she continued to shake her head, "N-no! I simply couldn't bother you again. Tsuruga-san, you are very busy... Aren't you also working on a new drama?"

Her nervous laughter filled the hall but didn't seem to deter the handsome actor before her. Sighing at her weak attempt to change the conversation, Ren resumed scolding her, "I have always made time, Mogami-san. I'm starting to think you're just avoiding me. Haven't I always been a good senpai?"

Freezing mid-creeping step backwards, Ren poked at her most valued trait. She had always stressed the senpai-kohai relationship between them and there he was throwing it back at her. Bowing deeply, she thrust the script towards him and grimaced, "Ah, I'm very sorry Tsuruga-san. I didn't mean any insult b-but you have to understand..."

As she trailed off, Ren smiled triumphantly and gingerly took the script in his hands. The title was written in sweeping English calligraphy: _Heavenly Forest_. He had never heard of it before but he was certain she was blowing things out of proportion – as per usual for her. Turning away from her, he tucked the script into his leather bag and headed towards the elevator at the end of the hall. Just as he was entering it he smirked back at her, "I'll read the script between my shoots this afternoon. Be at my place by 7 tonight and we'll practice it a few times."

As his casual words registered in her rather absent-minded brain, Kyoko snapped out of her bow and she screeched, "Ehhhhhhh? Tsuruga-san! Wait!"

Reaching the end of the hall just as the elevator doors shut, Kyoko pressed her palms against the cool metal and panic rose in her chest. Suddenly unable to hold herself up, she sunk to the floor and tried to figure out how he'd manipulated her so easily. Clenching her fists as the ominous clouds began to gather around her again, she wailed, "What am I going to do noooooow?"

* * *

As she stood outside Ren's apartment that evening, Kyoko found that she simply could not make her heart stop pounding ferociously against her rib cage. Every time a car pulled up, she expected it to be his Porsche and her entire body clenched in anticipation – her hands twisted together, her breath caught in her throat, her lips pursed, and her eyes sought his features. The result was that after thirty minutes of unbearable expectation he finally arrived, only to find her light headed and a bit tingly. Apologising for his delay, Ren led her up and into his apartment. The journey there was charged with a familiar uncertainty and this time he appeared to be sharing it.

Feigning ignorance and ease, Ren smiled modestly, "Mogami-san, may I take your coat?"

Though she appeared to hesitate, Kyoko eventually nodded and removed her coat to reveal a short mint green dress. Tearing his eyes from the soft skin revealed by the dress, he hung up her jacket and led her to the living room. Ren cleared his throat, "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Ah, tea would be nice," she murmured, secretly wishing for anything that would distract him from her scene, "Thank you Tsuruga-san."

Upon returning with her drink, Ren sat on the couch a bit awkwardly. Reflecting back on his afternoon, he couldn't help but wish he hadn't forced his help on her. A simple glimpse at the script immediately revealed the scene she was worried about – the scene he was now worried about. He silently cursed his ego and lack of foresight. It had been about six months since their time together as the Heel siblings ended and it had really gone by in such a whirlwind that he had no chance to reflect on the changes it caused in their relationship. Truthfully, _he_ had been avoiding her a little since then. Every time he laid eyes upon Kyoko at the office or around various TV stations, he found that he couldn't forget the feeling of sleeping next to her or holding her small frame against his. Though he'd admitted to himself – and by extension Yashiro – that he fell in love with her a long time ago, Ren simply couldn't tell her the truth. Not only was she not ready to love again but she always restricted their relationship to senpai-kohai. Shaking all thoughts of love from his head, Ren decided to break the silence, "So, about this scene. Tell me how you interpret it."

"Eh?" Kyoko turned her wide golden eyes upon her senpai. Realising the earnestness of his professional tone, she sighed, "Well, Shizuru is in love with Makoto but he was always interested in more mature girls. So in this scene, she gets to show her feelings for him but it doesn't really go anywhere..."

Her voice trailed off as a thick blush slowly crept up her face. Pausing only for a moment to reflect upon how undeniably adorable she looked, Ren encouraged her to continue, "And how do you think Shizuru feels?"

Averting her eyes again, Kyoko pondered, "She should be angry. He ignores her obvious feelings for him and chases after a more beautiful girl instead. And yet... she isn't angry – not really. She is sad. Not only because he doesn't return her love but also because she knows she is sick. In this moment she lets herself really comprehend what that means and this is when she makes her decision to grow up for Makoto even though it will cause her own death."

Ren couldn't help but gape at the young woman before him. Even a few months ago, discussing this type of scene would have caused Kyoko to fume about how preposterous it would be for a woman to sacrifice her own life to show a man her feelings. And she would have screamed about how no woman would feel sadness for being so blatantly ignored and taken for granted. Perhaps she would have even started a protest in the halls of LME against such an absurd storyline. However, at that very moment, Ren could see no rage boiling up within the actress. If he had to pinpoint the emotion she seemed to have displayed across her features, he would have said possibly melancholy or even empathy. Having read the script, he nodded in approval, "Yes... And what about Makoto? What are his feelings?"

Raising her gaze from the floor, panic flashed briefly across Kyoko's eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again, causing Ren to reflect on her sudden change of conviction. Was it really that hard to see the situation from his point of view? Kyoko's hands fiddled with the bottom hem of her dress as she stuttered, "I ... I don't know. I suppose he is confused. Torn perhaps between his friendship with Shizuru and his love for Miyuki?"

Narrowing his eyes at her, Ren chided, "Mogami-san. Have you really not thought about his feelings?"

Her shoulders tensed at his tone and all she could do was croak, "I was so worried about the scene that I didn't get that far."

Shaking his head, Ren wasn't particularly surprised that Kyoko missed the emotions of Makoto. Even with a quick glance at the script, he knew the male lead was already in love with Shizuru but just hadn't come to terms with it yet. Heaving another sigh, Ren stood from the couch, "All you have to do is take his clothes off. You've done that to me before."

Wincing instantly at the casual way in which he'd broached the subject, Ren attempted to keep all expression from his face as he waited for her response. As expected, it was swift and forceful as she yelped, "That wasn't me! That was Setsuka," clearly flustered Kyoko stammered onwards, "a-and there were no cameras or crews around. This is _definitely_ different!"

Crossing his arms, Ren fought off the memory of that night as if his life depended on it. After a few moments of anxious silence, he reached out a hand to her, "Come on. As they say, fear is only as deep as the mind allows."

Staring up at his handsome face, Kyoko couldn't help but wonder what kind of karma she accrued in her past lives that led her to this situation, which was as equally horrible as it was wonderful. Though she refused to think of the complications that would arise – as there were likely to be many – Kyoko timidly reached forward and placed her hand in his. With just a touch of astonishment in his grin, Ren turned to lead the young girl off to his bedroom. Upon arrival in said room, the expression on Kyoko's face had twisted into unveiled apprehension but she remained silent. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Ren smirked fully, "All right. Direct me."

Gaping at the very idea of telling Ren what to do, Kyoko wrung her hands together and struggled to remember the script, "I think you just have to sit like that, actually. There aren't very many words in this scene."

Raising an eyebrow at the thought, Ren made himself a little more comfortable on the edge of the bed and motioned for her to proceed. Closing her eyes, Kyoko took a deep breath and attempted to get into character. Pieces of the script and her thoughts on Shizuru's character flooded Kyoko's mind. Happiness was overshadowed by sorrow as she thought about Shizuru's feelings for Makoto and the decision she was about to make. Opening her tear brimmed eyes, Kyoko gazed down on the man seated before her. To her surprise, Ren was looking back at her with an expression betraying Makoto's confusion and timidity. She knew she shouldn't be surprised by Ren's acting abilities but there was something so vulnerable and worried about his appearance that Kyoko simply hadn't expected to ever see on his face. With a subtle shake of her head, Kyoko returned to the scene and clutched her hands against her chest, "Ne, Makoto?"

"Eh?" Ren furrowed his brows in concern, "What is it?"

Biting her lip, Kyoko twisted her hands awkwardly, "W-will you let me touch you? Just this once."

Disbelief crossed Ren's features but in his mind, the so-called Emperor of the Night was raging to be let free. The soft and innocent look on the young girl's face when she delivered those lines was enough to turn his world upside down. Ignoring his impulses, he let his expression change to confusion but with a hint of acceptance. Smiling briefly, Kyoko reached out her hesitant hands to the top button of Ren's shirt and ineptly opened it. With awkwardness betraying both her and Shizuru's inexperience, she chewed on her bottom lip while reaching for the next button and as her fingers struggled with it, she chanced a glimpse at Ren's eyes. With a start she realised that though his face still remained in Makoto's character, his eyes were certainly not. They burned with a passion so foreign to his character that Kyoko involuntarily jumped back with a yelp. Similarly startled, Ren's expression immediately returned to normal and he reached forward to the overwhelmed girl, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Cowering from the strength of his hungry eyes, Kyoko faltered, "I-I can't do the scene with you looking at me like that!"

"Like what?" Ren probed, truly unaware of the shade his eyes had assumed in that moment.

"Like... Like," she sputtered as she grasped for words, "Like you're going to eat me!"

Realisation dawned on him all at once; somehow Kuon's desires were showing through his eyes. He groaned with the knowledge that it was only around this girl that he became unaware of the presence of his other self. That is to say that it was only in front of Kyoko that Kuon crept to the surface of Tsuruga Ren without bursting forward as a demon. Sure, Kuon had taken over before but Ren was always aware of the transition – whether he was powerless to stop it or not. But with Kyoko, his darker self discovered ways to appear without raising alarms and _that_ was very alarming. Straightening his frame, Ren nodded, "I'm sorry Mogami-san, it won't happen again."

Nervously glancing at him over her shoulder, Kyoko seemed reluctant to attempt to carry onwards but after a moment or two of weighing the pros and cons she acceded. Closing her eyes once more, she willed the Shizuru she had created to come forth as Ren simultaneously attempted to shut down Kuon. Her gilded eyes drifted open with salty tears gathering around the corners and she resumed her lines in a childlike tone, "Ne, Makoto?"

"Eh?" Ren responded, "What is it?"

"W-will you let me touch you? Just this once."

Before he could even portray Makoto's equally clumsy reaction, Ren saw the look in Kyoko's eyes change from sadness to anxiety and he knew Kuon had surfaced again. With another squeal, she jumped away from him, "I can't do this! The eyes are just too scary!"

Running a frustrated hand through his hair, Ren reflected on the absurdity of the situation. She couldn't continue because he kept making lustful eyes at her but the whole scene was meant for her to convey her desire for him. Feeling slightly hopeless, he gently proposed, "How about I keep my eyes closed at first? Maybe that will help."

Firing him an incredulous look, Kyoko crossed her arms, "As if I'd believe that... Cover them up somehow instead!"

Ren scoffed, "What? Like a blindfold? Mogami-san, at some point you _will_ have to do this scene with a man looking at you."

"I know," she pouted wilfully, "but at least for the first time. And the real scene will be with Hika– err, I-Ishibashi Hikaru anyway..."

Eying her suspiciously, Ren pondered her choice of words with regards to her co-star. Why would she be on first name basis with this no-name actor? Ishibashi Hikaru... The name didn't ring any bells, so Ren made a mental note to look him up at a later date. His heart constricted at the thought that she would be so familiar with another man but refuse to call him 'Ren.' Besides that, Kyoko was now dancing wildly around his room hunting for something to be used as a blindfold. As she was somehow incapable of looking through any drawers or closets, she was having a hard time finding _anything_ out of place let alone something suitable for this purpose. With a quick grunt, Ren stood and retrieved a slate grey scarf from his wardrobe. Upon seeing the astonishment on his companion's face, he shrugged, "Can we continue now?"

Nodding sheepishly, Kyoko was still a little stunned by Ren's decision to concede on the matter of a blindfold. She had honestly expected him to refuse with perfectly reasonable arguments as to why the idea was ludicrous. After sourly returning to his position on the bed he folded the scarf, pressed it to his eyes, and tied a secure knot behind his head. He followed this with a quick gesture for her to continue with the scene and finished by resting his palms on his knees. Eyeing the room warily, Kyoko's gaze rested upon the sightless man in front of her. She waved her hand in front of Ren's masked eyes. Subduing a giggle at his lack of response, she cleared her throat instead to signify she was re-entering her character.

"Ne, Makoto?"

"Eh? What is it?"

Even without having to look into his eyes, the concern evident in Ren's voice caused Kyoko's heartbeat to accelerate. Gulping slightly, she reacted in earnest, "W-will you let me touch you? Just this once."

Again wonder arose in Kyoko as somehow the tension in Ren's body indicated that he – or rather Makoto – would permit this intimacy only once. Quivering all over, her hands crept forward to the second button of Ren's dark dress shirt. For some unknown reason this button was far more difficult to undo than the first but when it ultimately succumbed, the extra inch and a half of skin revealed seemed far more thrilling than the first. As she flipped the third and fourth buttons out of their respective holes, Kyoko was able to concentrate on the loose ends of string poking out from the button holes rather than the smooth skin below. However as she reached for the fifth button her heart leapt to her throat. And as this button came undone, she snuck another uneasy glimpse at Ren's face. She was relieved to find that she couldn't sense any particular aura from him and he appeared to still be unable to see her nervous motions. Finally, the sixth and last button was unfastened leaving a vertical line of his well-defined chest exposed to her eyes.

Hesitating shyly, Kyoko tried to remain in character. Perhaps the blindfold was a bad idea after all. Without his stern gaze keeping her in line she felt as though she could ruminate as she pleased without being subject to scrutiny. Her fingers numbly traced up his muscular torso and softly trailed over his collarbone, urging the shirt off his shoulders. Keeping the feather-like pressure, her fingertips pursued the crest of his broad shoulders and began to meander down the back of his lean triceps. As her hands arrived at his wrists, she imagined that he shuddered – which caused another short pause but upon deciding her mind was playing tricks with her, she continued helping the shirt off his frame entirely. For another moment Kyoko dwelt upon Ren's hands, which were much larger than her own and as she had only just discovered were somehow both smooth and rough. Her own small fingers roamed across the grooves of his left palm and she gasped in spite of herself as his fingers twitched under her procession.

Returning to his forgotten shirt, Kyoko leaned over and discarded the article onto the floor. She was feeling particularly faint as she thought about the likely progression of the scene. Much like her bullying scenes in Box R, this scene was left somewhat open for interpretation and she'd almost run out of direction to work with. Casting an apprehensive glance down at Ren's belt, she knew that rationally it would be the next thing to go. However, the belt's proximity to his... well, his crotch was unnerving her immensely.

Underneath his blindfold, Ren was rapidly reaching his boiling point. Something about the sensory deprivation was making the situation utterly excruciating. Fully aware of his state of undress, he awaited her next ministrations with more raw desire than he had ever experienced before. After what felt like hours, Kyoko's fingers resurfaced gingerly at the left hinge of his jawline. Using all his self-control to remain still and silent, Ren soaked up the caress of her fingertips down his jaw and leisurely towards his lips. A lone finger drew along the line which separated his partially opened lips – catching ever so slightly on the dampness his heavy breath had created. Revising her path, Kyoko's fingers danced down his chin and dipped to his throat, where their stroke became an ounce heavier. As she passed over his Adam's apple, Ren gulped reflexively and elicited a tiny giggle from her. A small smirk formed on his lips and he genuinely wished he could see the cute expression she was likely making at the moment.

Before he could think on it much longer, Ren felt her hand drop to the centre of his chest and press him back against the bed. His mouth propped open involuntarily in shock – which only increased when he felt her hands skip across his flexing abdomen and begin to fiddle with the buckle of his belt. Despite his inability to see, Ren pressed his eyes closed firmly as he savoured the feel of Kyoko deftly opening his buckle. He lifted his hips marginally after feeling a subtle tug and in response the belt was slid from its restraints, leaving his trousers a bit looser than they were before. The sound of the belt tumbling to the floor was followed by tense silence. After a few moments, Ren began to sincerely agonise that she'd left him there half naked in a moment of sanity. But just as he was about to question her presence, he felt her knees brush against his as she leaned on the bed for support. Releasing a breath he didn't realise he was holding, Ren relaxed to a certain extent – at least until Kyoko's fingers began to fiddle with the button of his slacks. Something low in his stomach began to stir as he felt the button give way and her shy fingers moved to pull down the zipper, careful to move gradually and not come into contact with anything inside his pants. A low groan escaped from deep in his throat and the responding squeak from her reminded Ren how vital it was to somehow keep detached from her motions. Though he mentally prepared an apology from Makoto, he was stunned to find that Kyoko seemed to continue undaunted. Tucking her fingers under the front edge of his trousers she slowly guided them downwards, once again triggering his hips to lift off the bed in obedience. As the dress pants receded below his boxer briefs, Kyoko's fingertips and soft nails began to graze against the skin of his thighs. A shiver ran through his entire body and he struggled to remind himself that in this particularly compromising position, he categorically **must not** become aroused – no matter what.

With a thud, Ren's pants hit the floor beside the bed. He tried desperately to remember the script and what happens next but he found that his brain was hazy and slow. To his right, the bed drooped a bit under the pressure of Kyoko's kneeling physique. With bated breath he waited for her next move, though he knew he was already losing his battle with arousal. Again her hand was placed against his chest – at first as light as before but then it pressed ardently against his skin. The pressure on the bed shifted faintly and Ren only had a second to wonder why before Kyoko's hot breath was against his neck. The war with desire was authoritatively over as her lips chastely skimmed across his sensitive skin. In a reflexive response, Ren's hand jumped to the back of her neck and gently traced down her spine. Arching her back against his caress, Kyoko inadvertently pressed her breasts into him. She shivered as his hand finally reached the small of her back and urged the rest of her body against his, causing her to essentially straddle his right thigh. In doing so, his now obvious erection pressed into her hip and elicited a throaty gasp from Kyoko. Ren shuddered at the sound and the accompanying realisation that she wasn't immediately removing herself from his grasp. Thoroughly carried away by the moment, he ventured his hand a bit lower to encourage her hips to grind into him ever so slightly. This time he was rewarded with a small moan, "Mmm… Ren!"

If he was a man of less fortitude, Ren would have certainly lost control in that instant. However, the opportunity was not afforded to him anyway because Kyoko realised the error of her outburst right away. She seemed to jump backwards off the bed before either of them had a chance to release a breath. Ripping off his blindfold as he sat up in the bed, Ren's eyes adjusted slowly to the light as he gaped at her. Overrun with embarrassment, Kyoko flushed an even darker shade of red than her previous arousal had warranted. She began to sputter incoherently and turned to flee the room (and apartment if she was able) but Ren caught her wrist halfway to the door and grunted, "Wait a minute!"

"I am so sorry Tsuruga-san," Kyoko muttered while turning back to him in a deep bow, "I don't know what happened to me! I got carried away and…"

She trailed off as she began to straighten herself from her bow and glanced up at Ren's half naked, very aroused form. For a moment, she relished the knowledge that he had been aroused by her ministrations but this feeling was quickly squashed by her shame over the false pretense this was achieved under. Training her eyes to the floor, Kyoko began to bow again but Ren stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Kyoko. It's okay."

Her name felt so incredibly good on his lips but he tried desperately to pull his desire back under wraps. He briefly wondered which of his alter-egos was the one that needed to be held back because every inch of him ached to pull her into another embrace. After a long stretch of painful silence, words seemed to tumble out of his lips, "Please… don't go. Stay with me tonight."

Wrenching her eyes from the floor, Kyoko openly gaped at him, "What? Why would you want me to stay with you?"

Sighing at her typical niavity, Ren ran his free hand through his hair in frustration. He contemplated spilling his whole repertoire of feelings to her but feared the likely outcome: a fast track to being avoided indefinitely. Unclenching his jaw, Ren smiled meekly, "Isn't it obvious? I just want… need your company."

Quirking her head to the side in contemplation, Ren watched as Kyoko clearly poured over his words searching them for hidden meaning. Though the fear and embarrassment had subsided somewhat, she still seemed anxious and yet not completely unwilling. He realised through this experience how much he had missed her company in the months following the end of Tragic Marker; how much he ached to sleep next to her once again, even under less satisfying circumstances. Perhaps his turn of phrase had been a somewhat selfish to attempt to manipulate her into her old role as his lucky charm but it was too late now. With a sigh, he released her hand - leaving the choice in her hands. To his surprise, she remained and after a minute said, "Okay… but can you put pants on?"

She gestured shyly down to his now waning erection, which caused a faint blush to grace his cheeks. He nodded slowly and set about finding night clothes for both of them. A few minutes later Ren slipped into his bed next to Kyoko feeling more than a little guilty. Consciously giving her space, he settled in on his back and whispered, "Thank you… Good night, Kyoko."

In the awkward silence that followed, Ren couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed. He wondered, not for the first time, whether she would ever be ready for love again. Each step they made towards progress seemed to be followed by two steps backward - not even including all the meddling of Fuwa and Reino. As he turned these thoughts over in his mind, Ren felt Kyoko turn onto her side in the bed and her breathing began to slow as exhaustion took over. Feeling equally exhausted, he tried to suppress the guilt for having conned her into staying in his bed and shut down his overactive brain. Just when he felt ready to sleep, he felt Kyoko's small hand slide into his. Ren's heart leapt into his throat and as he squeezed her hand lightly in acknowledgement, he felt her breath against his shoulder, "Good night, Ren."

Though he would not admit it to anyone, Ren fought a genuine grin for quite some time in the darkness that night as he attempted to get some sleep.

* * *

Some two weeks later, back in the same tall LME offices, a young girl skipped down the hall of the twenty first floor looking for a tall dark haired man. Her stomach grumbled in anticipation for the dinner they had planned together at a nearby restaurant. She rounded the corner into his manager's office and smiled brightly at the two men inside, "Good evening! We finished filming a little early today, so I am ready to go whenever you are Tsuruga-san."

Glancing up at her from a book, Ren briefly lamented the fact that she had reverted to calling him 'Tsuruga-san' instead of 'Ren' but pushed aside the thought for another day at the sight of her brimming with happiness. Smirking softly at her, he teased, "You look extra happy today. Did filming go well?"

"Yes! They changed the scene that I was worried about, so I don't have to strip anyone," Kyoko beamed, pointedly ignoring the confused expression on Yashiro's face.

Ren was much more excited about that revelation than he let on but instead asked, "Oh? That _is_ good news. Is the new scene less challenging for you?"

"I suppose," Kyoko mused, "All I have to do now is kiss Hikaru. That seems to be much easier."

In that very instant, all of the air in the room seemed to rush out, leaving it cold and almost completely silent. Yashiro began to fidget uncontrollably as the intensity of Ren's smirk dialled up to roughly the wattage of the sun, "What did you say this actor's full name and address was again, Mogami-san?"


End file.
